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Monday, October 5, 2015

Album Review: "Apparatus" by Apparatus

Apparatus

The self titled debut album.

Is there really any better way to introduce someone to your band and your music?

There's always a part of me that gets really excited thinking about a brand new band, a brand new sound. Hearing the first strains of music, trying to find their influences, and gauging their career trajectory.

It's very exciting.

Apparatus hails from the very metal country of Denmark and their first album is finally being released, as they put it, into the physical realm.

Performing in strange masks they play a brand of blackened death metal that ventures into art territory. Let's delve into this album and see what it's all about.

Apparatus

This album is extraordinarily grim and desolate. There is no feeling of hope while listening to these tracks.

Apparatus has a superb gift for song writing. It's easy to write paint by the numbers music. It's easy to write comfortable music based on well worn chords and drum lines.

They don't use these beaten paths. They stray from convention. Between slowing down to the feeling of falling and out of key piano riffs seemingly played by madmen, listeners are kept on the edge of their seats by just a thread.

The details mark the quality of this record. They are everywhere. The riffs, guitars, drums, and vocals are never the standard metal. Apparatus moves past the death (and black) metal inspired growls into operatic runs.

I never knew where the songs where going, or what was coming next. These sense of anticipation was great and never ending. When I thought I knew what they were doing and what they're about, Apparatus always took a different direction to keep me guessing.

This is one of the best albums I've heard all year. Pick it up on CD straightaway.